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Lisa Stansfield: Deeper​When I hear the name Lisa Stansfield, I can immediately hear the sound of her signature voice in my head and think about the impact she has dealt upon the music industry throughout her successful career. The soulful diva has plenty left to showcase, as after four years, she is back with her latest album Deeper.

The album opens full of rhythm with the upbeat “Everything” and its smooth moves blend in with electronic-pop tones. The number literally has everything you want from a track and it makes you want to dance the night away.

“Twisted” is next and it romances with sexy, sensual and northern soul inspired sounds. “Desire” is majestic, full of desire and undeniable. It’s a song of fairytales as you ride this lyrical affair. “Billionaire” is a big and dramatic track with a powerful voice to boot. It shines brightly for the world to see. “Coming Up for Air” is hedonistic and outstanding. It shows off a slower tempo and plenty of groove. “Love of My Life” follows with funk and plenty of personality. It is sweet like honey, as it moves seductively into your vision. “Never Ever” is upbeat, preppy and full of pop. It is a absolute show piece through and through. “Hercules” follows with utter strength, positive lines and motivation. This song doesn’t mess about and stands its ground. “Hole In My Heart” is up next and is stunning. It’s an emotive ballad which sings from the heart, and the feelings resonate without effort.“Just Can’t Help Myself” follows with soulful, funky beats. The added element of strings make for an unforgettable presence. Title track “Deeper” is next and is home to many layers, as it runs deep within. Jazz and soul combine together to create a beautiful sound. It is a track where you can dim the lights, sit back and forget all your worries.“Butterflies” follows with bright colors. It is uplifting and makes you smile. The butterflies gather around and spread their wings wide open to reveal such natural beauty. The album draws to its close with“Ghetto Heaven.” A cool track with a superior quality inside and out, it leaves you on such a high, you feel like you’re on cloud nine.

Deeper brings a different side to Lisa Stansfield without compromising her signature sound. It is full of funk, soul and groove which blend to create a magnificent spectrum.

Lisa's Interview with Chris Park at Northern Soul - talking about her forthcoming gig at Haydock Racecourse in August.

“I’ve been dossing around. Well, I’ve been dossing for a bit but not most of the day.”

So laughs Northern powerhouse Lisa Stansfield as the sun beats down on Manchester city centre. Anyone who was around in the late 80s and 90s will remember Stansfield’s powerful voice and personality, so it’s refreshing to see that none of that has diluted over time, not least her Rochdale accent. Of course, she never stopped making music except for a recent self-imposed break. Next up is a huge show at Merseyside’s Haydock Racecourse in August.

“It should be good, I think it’s gonna be great,” she tells me. “I’ve never done anything like that before so it should be quite an adventure. We’re gonna do stuff from the last album, Seven [the name is a nod to the fact it’s her seventh studio album]. It’ll be nice to do a bit of the new and a bit of the old really.”

Think of Stansfield and you’ll recall her many hits, including Change, All Woman, The Real Thing and, of course, All Around The World. But will Stansfield play it safe at her next concert with crowd-pleasers?I don’t ever do that. You need to look at yourself before you look at everybody else and look at it the way you would respond and feel the way the crowd would. Of course you have an obligation to the crowd and to your fans because they’re holding you up there and if it wasn’t for them you wouldn’t be where you are. It’s very confusing in how much you’re treating your audience and how much you’re indulging yourself. You have to really, really balance it out because you can be a bit selfish sometimes but you have to do something for yourself otherwise you wouldn’t want to do it anymore.”

I wonder, after almost 30 years in the spotlight, is stage fright still a problem?“I do get stage fright just before I go on the stage,” she admits. “It’s really funny because I’m always very, very organised before I go on the stage and it’s like, if you look at me on the stage you’d think I was a complete idiot and people think ‘Oh my God what’s going with her, they’re gonna take her away in a van’ but before I go on stage I’m completely there. I focus and get my microphone and I pull my dress up or whatever I’ve got on and I go up the steps and I go straight on the stage and I do it. I might look like a complete idiot but I know what I’m doing, I do it on purpose baby.”

Stansfield released her comeback album, Seven, in 2014 to great reviews and a top 20 position, and she is currently in the process of finalising the follow-up. She may have had a ten-year hiatus but she was busy in those years.“I’ve probably got enough material for about ten albums. It’s ridiculous, you write all the time, you just keep writing and writing so you sift through what you’ve got and you see what’s appropriate for what you’re feeling is an album. The album that you want to make – but we’re not gonna reveal any of that yet.”Stansfield’s no-nonsense attitude is unusual in a world where divas make requests for puppies, candles and green fruit pastilles. I get the impression that she’s the same Rochdale lass no matter where she is. But what does being a Northerner mean to her?

She says: “I think it’s important for anybody to recognise where they come from and to come from the North is such a privilege. I feel privileged with this beautiful sense of humour and a real understanding of soul, not just music but of people and I think just a common interest in humanity. It’s a bloody beautiful place to live in and I think our humour comes from that fact that we have had a lot of shit to deal with and that’s why we all just take the piss out of ourselves really. You can do loads in your life but whatever you do you should always take the piss out of it, no matter how serious it is.”

It’s amazing to think that Lisa Stansfield recently celebrated her 50th birthday. Has reaching this milestone changed her approach to life?“I don’t let things like that affect me,” she laughs. “I don’t care. It is weird thinking I’m 50-years-old but I really don’t feel 50-years-old at all, I completely don’t. Once I start feeling 50-years-old then I’m gonna stop.”

The interview is drawing to close. I finishing by asking her this: if she could have ten minutes with the 18-year-old Lisa Stansfield, what would she say to her? “I wouldn’t say anything at all. I’d tell the 18-year-old me to do just exactly what the fucking hell she wanted.”And with the infectious laugh that has peppered the whole conversation, she’s gone.​

By Beth Allcock at The Wharf The 49-year-old soul singer takes the Indigo stage on the festival’s opening night alongside Mica Paris and Imelda May for the ABC of Blues and Soul​

Lisa Stansfield says she’s always been a soul girl.So taking her place as one third of the opening act for Prudential BluesFest , at The O2 , is something she’s likely to relish.The bubbly singer will take the Indigo At The O2 stage alongside Mica Paris and Imelda May for The ABC of Blues and Soul on Friday, November 6.

The smooth sounds of Diana Ross inspired the singer in her childhood and Lisa’s secret set list of four songs will celebrate top female vocalists on the jazz and blues scene.But this has meant an intense few weeks of lyric-learning.

“I haven’t sung any of the songs before, so it’s like learning lines,” said Lisa. “You constantly think: ‘I’m never going to remember any of it,’ it’s really weird. “Even the best actors are constantly peeing their pants thinking they are going to forget their lines. “You’re learning new material but material that people know. “It’s like doing a favour for a friend – you want to do your best. “If you’re doing it for yourself you’re more relaxed but when it’s for someone else, everything hinges on the one thing.”

Lisa, famous for the vocal track on 1980s dance hit Around The World, released album Seven last year.With it came an accompanying tour and while homesickness blighted her memory of travelling across the country for various gigs as a budding performer she said she’d now overcome that.

She said a younger audience was also being drawn to her soul vibe and she was excited by the prospect of an eclectic crowd at The O2 ’s smaller venue.

“The hardcore jazz and blues people are taken as read but there’s a new generation of people that are intrigued about it,” she said. “It’s really refreshing to bring different types of people together. “So hopefully there will be a young crowd getting into that stuff and it’s lovely to be able to interest people in stuff you don’t want to get lost.“It’s nice to do stuff like this now and again and it’s nice we are all characters, so we will have a really good time.” The three-day BluesFest is the largest event of its kind in the UK.​Headliners on Saturday, November 7 include the Dave Matthews Band while Sir Tom Jones and Van Morrison will perform a joint gig on Sunday, November 8.There are also a number of free concerts throughout the festival.Tickets various prices.

LISA, 49, recalls a career high note when soul superstar Dionne Warwick came to visit her home town of Rochdale.

"I remember this photo so well as it was such a beautiful experience. It was taken in the early 90s and it was the week that Dionne Warwick came to Rochdale.We were on Arista, which was part of BMG at the time, and Clive Davis, the president of the company who knows everybody, anywhere, wanted to get us together. He called me up and said, ‘Do you want to work with Dionne Warwick?’ and you’re not going to say no, are you?She stayed at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, but came over to my studio for about three days to record one of our songs and a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. They hadn’t worked with each other for a long time and it was the first song they’d ever written together for Dionne, so it was quite a privilege to be able to do that.And when she arrived, it was incredible to see the glamorous Dionne Warwick in the town of Rochdale. She was lovely and we just had a really nice time. She’s a proper lady with a beautiful nature and she makes you feel really, really comfortableI almost had to pinch myself to see one of my idols in my home town and I just kept looking at her thinking, ‘Oh My God. That is Dionne Warwick’s voice. And it’s coming out of her in our studio in Rochdale. It’s incredible.’She made her own tea and very much did her own thing, but we were too busy to give her a tour. I’m sure she’d love to come back, though, to see the sights and go for a kebab or a curry!She also told me off as I smoked at the time, even though she smoked like a trooper. She smoked more than I did and kept reprimanding me for it, but it was good advice. I don’t know whether she still smokes, but I don’t and it’s helped me tremendously.One of the highlights was getting to do backing vocals with her on the track Friends Can Be Lovers and it was quite an intimate experience. When you do backing vocals, the trick is – if you’re a good singer and touch wood I am – to look at each other’s mouths. It’s a very, very close thing to do. In the course of half an hour or an hour doing backing vocals, you completely study the mouth of that person.You’re looking at that person’s mouth because you want every single intonation to be right. It’s a beautiful thing and it was lovely because she said I had a lovely voice and vice versa. It’s always beautiful to be told that you’ve got a lovely voice by an amazing singer.It’s been nearly 25 years since that photo was taken, but I still feel that I’ve got a lot to learn. I’m busy recording my next album, I’m doing a load of festivals this summer and I’m just looking forward to carrying on doing what I’m doing and working with some more beautiful people like Dionne Warwick.I haven’t seen her for a few years, though, as I think she moved to Brazil for a while. But I think she’s back in LA now and we recently bought a place in LA, so it would be really nice to see her. Perhaps we’ll get her round for another cup of tea.” Courtesy of Express.co.uk By NICK MCGRATH

﻿Catch up with Lisa's exclusive interview for the June edition of Sussex Style Magazine that she did last month. Many thanks to Sean and Richard at Sussex Style for their kind permission to republish this interview by magazine Editor Alex Hopkins.

Back in the early to mid 90's before the internet had truly taken hold, fans found other means to communicate with each-other. Most read the latest snippets and updates via the official Lisa newsletter as well as a fanzine called Soul Deep. In one particular edition, I remember a small article about a fan who owned a most unusual scooter which he had personally customized and bedecked with images of Lisa across it. Those photos were initially published in black and white, but the images really did not do the bike the justice it deserved to show it off in it's full glory.

At random, several months ago, I came across a Twitter post featuring some photos of this unique bike which pleased me no end. Ray Ward, a fan of Lisa since her first studio album, even named his unique scooter, 'Affection' in honour of Lisa's 5 million seller.

My intrigue got the better of me and as I'm not one to hang around, I wanted to find out some more about Ray and his infamous scooter.

'Affection' the scooter owned and cherished by Ray Ward

Bev: Hi Ray, thanks for taking the time to chat to the fansite. Tell me, how long have you been a fan of Lisa Stansfield and when did you first discover her music?Ray: I have been a fan of Lisa's from the offset, really since the launch of the first studio album 'Affection'.

Bev: What was it about Lisa that you first admired?Ray: Her soulful voice and her as a person. She seems so down to earth.

Bev: Have you ever had the fortunate opportunity to have met the lady herself?Ray: No I'm afraid I haven't.

Bev: You own a rather unique object that seems to turn a few heads. Can you tell us a about it?Ray: I acquired a motor scooter quite a few years before I decided what I wanted to do with it. I really wanted to do something new at the time, as other people were doing mythical or Motown, Northern Soul themed scooters. So I thought it was time to bring something new onto the scene and I thought 'why not someone from a soul background'? Then I thought of Lisa.

Bev: It must have set you back a bit customizing it?It took a lot of money, time and thinking. Luckily enough I had a lot of the best people in the country who were able to help me out and do some work on it for me. It's a Vespa P150X. It has many one off parts which have been especially hand engraved. I believe those touches helps to make my scooter unique. My close friend Andy Horne helped making the one off parts, like a foot rack, in order that I kept my feet off the paintwork. This was really a one off and a first of it's kind.

Bev: I bet it was! So when and where did you purchase your scooter?Ray: I purchased it in 1987 from my friend Gary and it was just a bog standard scooter at the time in a plain burgundy colour. I was the third owner when I acquired it. It certainly didn't look anywhere like it does now!

Bev: Who did the artwork on it?Ray: A fantastic airbrush artist called John Spurgeon, who is still trading to date at Aerographics in Norwich. Truly a very talented man.Bev: So what made you decide to have Lisa Stansfield adorned across your scooter?Ray: Some of the modern art work on her album covers led me to think that it would really look nice and stylish if I was able to feature those images onto the scooters the panels, and it went from there.

Ray Ward - on his bike!

Affection images on each panel

Bev: I remember in the early 90’s seeing an article about your scooter appear in an edition of the Lisa fanzine 'Soul Deep'. How did that come about?Ray: After turning up to a number of concerts in hope that other people saw the bike, it was just easier for me to send over photos of my bike to Fanzine and they made a little article about it.

Bev: Has your scooter ever featured in other magazines or shows?Ray: It has been in 'Scootering Magazine' a number of times and in the early 1990's it also featured in there with a double page spread. Also it has just recently featured in a section called "Rust or Dust". which looked at how bike owners had looked after their scooters since the 1990's. Additionally it was shown at numerous custom shows and scooter rallies since the early 90's whereby I gained quite a lot of trophies.Bev: Do you still ride it around much?Ray: Yes! I've been riding it around quite a bit just lately. It has always been kept for sunny days, but have needed to use it more recently to get to work on it.

Soul Deep the Lisa fanzine, with the original article about Ray Ward's scooter.

Bev: Bearing in mind that your scooter is getting on a bit, would you be tempted to part with it, assuming that the price was right?Ray: No...! It's got far too much of me in it and certain parts on this bike could never be re-done again . So no way!

Bev: If you had just one wish to take someone on the back of your scooter, who would that be and why?Ray: I think that I will still stick with having my wife on the back, as she puts up with my moods, tantrums and shortage of money especially at the time when I was building this scooter. My wife really does enjoy going on the back of the bike, just as much as I do really.

Bev: Will you be going to see Lisa on her UK tour in September? If so which gig and should the other fans look out for you turning up on your scooter?Ray: Yes, actually I'm taking my wife and we are going to the London concert on 10th September. It will be around the date of our wedding anniversary as well. But sadly we will be leaving the bike at home that night and travelling by train, as I don't like the idea of leaving the bike parked up outside somewhere unfamiliar.

*Thanks to Ray Ward for allowing us to feature his unique scooter on the official fan-site. How much of a dedicated Lisa fan are you? Do you own something unique or have an extraordinary collection that you would care to share? Send us your details here at Contactand if deemed appropriate we will look to feature some of the most interesting stories over the coming months.

It was such a privilege to have this photograph taken a couple of years ago at the famous Parisian Harcourt studio - they usually only photograph French women. When I look at it I think, 'I'd like to know that lady, because it's certainly not me.'

When my first album Affection achieved success in 1989, my husband Ian and I went to New York and bought everyone in the family a gift to celebrate. I chose these pearl earrings for my mum Marion from Tiffany and I've worn them ever since she died eight years ago. They keep me close to her.

My grandma's vase reminds me of visiting her most Fridays near my home in Rochdale. She was a massive influence in my life - we used to sit in her kitchen, surrounded by the smell of baking, and 'sing' our prayers (which weren't really prayers but lovely little songs).

I used to eye up this glass lobster at an antique dealer friend's house until one day he gave it to me. It makes me laugh - and cheers me up when I'm cooking.

This toy frog used to belong to my sister Suzanne - she gave it to me when I was trying to have a baby with Ian because we'd read that frogs were a sign of fertility. Sadly it didn't work, but now I wouldn't part with it.

I like to tinkle at my piano when I'm working out a new song - I just put my fingers down and see what comes out. I love music now more than at the times when I was so busy that I'd forget why I got into it in the first place.

I bought this magnifying glass from a stall on Portobello Road. It hangs around my neck all the time - a reluctant admission of my age [48] and that my eyes are starting to fail.

Finally an announcement that film distributors have confirmed that Northern Soul the film will be released in cinemas in the UK in October 2014. There will be more information regarding dates and cinemas soon.

When I was younger, I was always aware that people were looking at me,” says Lisa Stansfield in her amazing can’t-take-Rochdale-out-of-the-girl accent.

“I used to worry what people thought of me.”

A pause. And then a glorious northern cackle.

“But these days I couldn’t give a s**t!”

This theme of self-acceptance runs through her latest hit album, Seven as a glistening defiant thread. Songs such as So Be It and Carry On are all about strength and belief – clearly something that’s important to the 48-year-old soul singer.

“Everyone has the right to that,” she continues. “As long as you’re not hurting anyone, you should be yourself. You should have room to do what you really want to do and feel the way you do.”

See also: My perfect weekend: Lisa Stansfield

But does she think that today’s fame-obsessed popstrels, the likes of Rihanna and Miley, are truly being themselves? Or are they just lost in a sea of selfies and social media? After all, Lisa herself has always had a very healthy, almost take-it-or-leave-it approach to the limelight.

“Well, there has always been different types of artists – X Factor types, very manufactured types, very poppy artists – and some you admire and some you don’t. But they’re all doing different things for different types of people.

“Artists like Rihanna or Beyoncé – who, by the way, I think is incredible – are just enjoying themselves and I think as long as they’re not hurting anyone, then that’s fine. And I’m on social media myself, I like to keep an eye on things; see what my fans are thinking, what they like and what they don’t. It’s amazing to look at your demographic closer.”

And it was looking at this demographic, and the other artists out there who catered to it, that inspired Lisa to make Seven – a full decade after the release of her last album.

“I waited for the right time for getting in there and getting into it. Music changes all the time but trends always come round again and I looked out at the other artists out there – the likes of Amy Winehouse, Emeli Sandé and Adele – and thought ‘these are my sort of artists, there is room for me out there’.

And the reaction I’ve received since has been amazing, incredible.” Famed for telling stories through song, Ivor Novello-winning Lisa has stayed true to her talents for this record.

“A lot of the album is about the trap that a woman has got herself into – an unrequited, doomed or mismatched love – and how to get herself out of it if she can,” she explains.

“I think we all suffer the same pain, all feel the same happiness and we all have the same emotions within us. My life isn’t very racy or exciting so I make things up, tell stories. I like telling stories.”

And she’ll be bringing those stories to life when she hits the road for a UK tour later this year, performing at Birmingham Symphony Hall on September 5.

“It will be all about the songs, all about the music. It’s no big extravaganza, no dancers bursting out and doing routines. People just want to hear me sing and I don’t want them to feel cheated or short-changed so that’s what they’ll get.”

The gigs will be a mixture of old and new songs, including the hits All Woman, The Real Thing and, of course, the monster that is All Around the World.

“I see these songs as really old friends: sometimes you get on with them and sometimes you don’t. But if it wasn’t for these songs, I wouldn’t be here doing what I’m doing so I’m always appreciative – they’ve helped me on the way, they’ve moulded me.”Lisa, whose career started after winning the Manchester Evening News’ Search for a Star contest and then forming Blue Zone with school pal and now hubby, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, will be hitting the road for 10 dates up and down the country with her trusty band.“After all these years on the road together you just learn when not to speak to someone on the bus and when you can have a laugh with them,” she chuckles. “You learn who’s grumpy in the mornings and who’s moody at night. And I’m including me in that – trust me, I can be grumpy.”In between albums, it’s been acting that’s kept Lisa satisfied, with roles in The Edge Of Love, Miss Marple and Goldplated.As well as a high-profile stage debut in the West End production of The Vagina Monologues with Anita Dobson and Cecilia Noble, she was also offered the role of Corrie’s Rovers Return landlady Stella Price in 2010, which was eventually taken on by Michelle Collins.She turned it down because it was a three-year commitment, saying at the time: “You get into a role and people see you as that character, so they’d be confused because they know me as Lisa Stansfield. It would freak them out if I was pulling pints at the Rovers.”Music, she tells Native Monster, will always come first.“You get acting offers all the time and, if the quality is there, you’ve got to go for it. But music will always be the priority. If there was an acting job that came up but clashed with a tour, there is no way I would do it.”That said, Lisa is part of a major film due to be released later this year: Elaine Constantine’s Northern Soul, starring Steve Coogan and Ricky Tomlinson.

“I’ve known Elaine for ages – she grew up in the next town to me,” she says. “It was sort of a given that I’d be in the film, although only when I saw the script did I discover I was to be the naggy old mum! It’s a new role for me because I don’t have kids, but I enjoyed bossing my screen son, Elliott around. And I get to shout at my dad, Ricky Tomlinson, which was fun. He was hilarious, he never stopped telling jokes and we found out at the end of one of the days it was his birthday and he hadn’t told anyone – we got him a cake though.“It’s such a great film, I’m only in three or four scenes but I feel really lucky to be a part of it. The film looks incredible but I knew it would. Elaine has wanted to make a film about Northern Soul since she was 14. She says she doesn’t know what she’ll do with her life when it’s finished, but when the film wins lots of awards, she’ll make another one. Well, I hope she does because she’s a great director. Her attention to detail is stunning and the emotion she captures is amazing.”And for Lisa? What next for her?“Simple really,” she smiles. “More touring, more acting and, hopefully, a new album out in the spring. It’s all go.”